Improvement in tension device



No. 106,796. PATENIED AUG. so, 1870.

y G. I.. DULANEY. TENSION DEVICE EOE SEWING MACHINES.

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Letters Patent N 106,796, dated Aug-ust 30, .1870.

mrnovrimnm- IN TENSION nevrosi :am SEWING-MACHINE.

The Schedufe referred to in these Letters Patent and mamng part-of the saine.

To all 'whom it lnuily conce-'rut' Be it known that I, GEORGE L.' DULA'NEY, of

Mechanicsburg, in the county of Cumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain I1nprovements in Tension Apparatus for-Sewiug-machine Shuttles; and l do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawing which accompanies and forms part of this speciiication, is a description of my invention sufficient to enable'those skilled in the art to practice it.

My improvements relate to a novel method of giving tension to the shuttle-thread of sewing-machines,

and to the construction of devices for effecting the,

same; and

They consist, primarily, in the employment within the shuttle, of a revolving disk or wheel, of peculiar construction around which the thread is passed, such disk being arranged to revolve more or less freely, at op'ion, by varying its frictional contact against a pad; all e They further consist in the details of construction and modications thereof hereinafter described.

Figure l shows a shuttle with my improvements therein.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of my improvements, and of a bobbin and its spindle in place. b

Figure 3 is a similar section, the tension-wheel or disk Vbeing held outside its cup or shell to facilitate the threading of the same.

Figures 4 and 5 are, severally, sectional and edge views of `the tensional wheel, showing' its peculiar grooves and ribs.

Figure 6 shows how, by the finger, the tension-Y wheel may be pushed ont to he threaded without removing any of the parts.

A. is the case or shell ot the shuttle, and

B a removable plate adapted to support thebobbin, and having thereon my improvements; this plate being preferably so made that it may be readily placed and held within the case, and that its back shall form that face which rides against the vertical part of the shuttle-race of the sewing-nrachine One end, C, of this plate, serves as a bearing for one end of the bobbin when in place, the -other end of the bobbin being supported upon or in a center on a spindle, D, upon which the disk revolves.

The disk or wheel is marked E, and ismade of two circular plates, e, diver-ging from each other onbevelcd on their inner faces nca-1' their peripheries, these plates heilig soldered or otherwise united together.

ln the construction shown, the groove in the periphery caused by the bevels is, on both its faces or' bevels, jagged or notched as seen iu iig. 5, so that while the thread is pulled to revolve the disk in the proper direction, as indicated by the arrow, it will easily release itself from the groove without chafing at the point where it is required to render out from the shuttle.

These notches' are peculiar in their character, and for aspecial purpose.. Each' notch is, more properly speaking, a feather-edged furrow cut or tiled in'tothe 'faceof the beveled' part of the wheel, the line of such edge-being about tangential to' that circ-le `which is the base ot' the bevel, or, in other words, to 'the central circular plane or unbeveled part or inner face of the diskplate, (see g. 4.)

The object of giving this form and direction to the elevated feathe edge, in connection with-in the convergence of those ol' each plate .with those of the other, is not only that the thread, hy reason of the last-named feature, may tend to .wedge itselt` somewhat into a narrowing'space, but that in the pull the thread shall always ride down the inclined edges of the ridges which guide it positively toward the center,

'thus making it absolutely certain that the wheel shall be rotated, and that the thread shall not slip in the groove.

It' the wheel were reversed, thc positive guiding ot' the thread toward the center not only would not takel place, but the tendency would be just the reverse; namely, to guide the thread towardthe periphery, and

prevent its wedging in the converging groove.

The spindle. is supported in a bearing in the box F,

-wit-hin which the disk revolves, and also in another bearing in the upright G, affixed to the plate B, as shown.v Y

n Within thel case, and between its back and the in ner face of the disk, is placed a cloth or other frictionpad, g, against which the disk may he drawn with any a desired degree of pressure by the following means, namely; upon the spindle at a; is a fine screw-thread,

to which is adapted a small nut, H, and between this nut and the box F is placed a coiled spring, which surrounds the spindle. This nut, by the action of the spring,v not only serves to holdthe spindle to its place, but, upon being turned in' either direction, permits the adjustment of the friotioual contact ot'. the

disk and pad, and the consequent tension of vthe thread, in the simplest manner, and with'the greatest nicety and precision.

To thread the disk it is merely necessary to 'push the spindle inward with the finger. This pushes the disk out of its case against the force of the spring. The thread is then put into the groove, and the tinger releasing the spring, all the parts spring hack to.

lace.

p In the side of the box F, near the plate B, is made a small slit or openingto permit the introduction and exit of the thread as it passes from the bobhin to, around, and from the disk.

receive andpermit the uncbstrnctedrevoiuti-on ofj'the disk or whee'h'a-nd thus prevent the thread' ti'ornacci'- dentally escaping from the groove, endif; also-protects the groove from' dirt..

A swingingdetch, I, may be employed-to abiti?" against the end'of the spindle when the disk is being threaded1 to heid it in position.

T heiy of the plate B I adapt to enterbeneatn a: sm'ziii bridge-piece, K, :n: tbe'nose' of the sbuttie, to

eid in holding the plate and its attachment when the gaiee pressed to 'pince inthe heel of Jthe shuttle.r f

einen notch in the upper wall of the shuttle'perf mits idee introduction of the thumb-neil. or any conseniest impement, to lift tbe plete'ondbobbinto re mereftixesame; The thread, after leaving the tension-disk, passes through au opening in the upper side of' the shuttle. By my construction it 'will be seen that-.the entire extelior suri'aceof 'the shuttle is smooth, having no. screws, screi'rnbeads, springs, or i'iction-bra-kes,tc en# imager or frziy the thread, or prevent perfectly. free passage of the shuttle through the 'loop of the needlethread.

A modified constructionof the tension-device dif fers from tbe above onlyiudispensing with the coiled -spring andi adjusting-nut, and' substituting for the iixed upright G :in adjustable upright, to which the spinrlie 'for the disl'is fi ser-w serving tov 'permit the adjustments zn'eeiieh by shifting tbe positionoi' t'be upright.

In'p'ulliug the th'reiuiin the direction to fdeliyer,

1 threaded' from tbe-centenas a. .riillstone lthrows ofi the grain, anni, consequently.- outo` the narrow parts of 'the groove instead ef toward the centeri and .into

the narrower part-s.

I chairm- As atension-.deviceibrlafsewngmachine rollerr constructed with ridges arrangedA tangentia-llyor neerly so, as described and 'sho'wuxin figs. i and -5,' and for' the purpose set forth.y

Aiso, `the combinatioujof the post.' G, zini'l loose spindle provilied with 2.'.iead, D, and screw-thread,

f with the dishr E, amd the adjustingl'nut 'and spring, the latter serving to hold the spindle in place as well asin verythe'tensiQm-substantially as shown end de'- scribed.. 4

Aisc, the 'com biiiatio"o il1e.barrel, tension-disk, pad, spindl'e-,and :in adj ustingederice, substantiallyas described.

Also, the combination, with the' removable fecepiate 'of a shuttle, of :i box or barrel secured thereto, adapted for the receptionand protection of ensiondevice, substantially as described.

-GEORGE L. DULANEY.

.Witnesses J'. W. DULANEY, Jose-P11 LEAs. 

